Improvement in steam-boiler furnaces



P W. LAMB.

STEAM BOILER FURNACES.

Patented Jan.Z,1877.

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N-PEIERS, FHOTMJTHUGRAFHER WASHINGTON. D O.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIOE.

PATRICK W. LAMB, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-BOILER FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 185,829, dated January2, 1877; application filed October 16, 1876.

To all whom tt may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK W. LAMB, of the city and county of Albany,State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Furnaces forSteam-Boilers and I do hereby declare that the following is adescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents aperspective view of a furnace embodying the improvements in thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is across-sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation.

My invention relates to furnaces of steamboilers and consists in theseveral combinations of devices or elements hereinafter described.

The object of this invention is to regulate the amount of air admittedto the fuel in combustion, and to direct the flame toward the center ofthe firechamber.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it in reference to the drawings and letters ofreference marked thereon, the same letters indicating like parts.

In the drawings, A represents the combustion-chamber in which the fueland gases are burned. B is the grate. G is the ash-pit. A is the door ofthe combustion-chamber. O is the door of the ash-pit. D is a blowerintended to be driven by power. E is the air conduit leading from theblower to the ashpit. The grate B has its sides 0 made with an incline,which extends from the said grate B to the vertical walls of the furnaceA, provided with openings, as shown. The inclined sides prevent thelodgment of dead fuel and ashes, and also permit the air to enter'intothe combustion-chamber from below in an oblique direction, as shown inFig. 3, so as to concentrale the combustion of the gases about centralwithin the combustion-chamber. The ends 0 of the said grate are alsomade inclined, in the same manner as the sides, and provided withperforations, so as to admit a portion of the air forced through thesaid inclined ends in an oblique direction, and prevent the accumulationof dead coal and refuse. The perforations in the grate, in itshorizontal portions Nicely fitted in the said and in the inclined sideand end portions, are

. about one-eighth of an inch in diameter at the upper surface, and maybe made in the form of oblong slits or round perforations, of aboutone-eighth of an inch diameter, so as to prevent the coal-dust frompassing through. The ash-pit door is made solid, without any draftdooror opening to permit either the escape of air from the said ash-pit orentrance of air to the same from without. Placed in the conduit E is thedamper a, secured to a shaft having bearings in the sides of the saidconduit. Secured to one end of the damper-shaft is the crank 0, providedwith a pin, s, to which is pivoted the connecting bar or piece m, theupper end of which connecting-bar is pivoted to the lever F, which leveris pivoted at its opposite end to the standard G. The lever F isweighted by the adjustable weight H. I is a steamcylinder, supplied withsteam from the boiler by a pipe, (not shown,) through the port n.cylinder is the piston 0, the upper end of which bears against the lowerside of lever F, so as to be capable of raising the same when thepressure on the piston becomes sufficient to overcome the gravity of theweight carried by the lever F.

The manner in which the improvements in this invention operate is asfollows: The coaldust is thrown in a mass or body on the kindled fire inthe furnace-chamber. The blower is rapidly revolved by a belt drivingthe pulley of the blower. F is adjusted to a proper point to load-thesaid lever against a stated or desired pressure of steam to be used.When the steam is below the pressure the boiler is to bear, the damperawill be held open, as shown by full lines in Fig. 4.; but when thepressure is greater, so as to raise the lever 1*, the said damper willbe closed by the action of the said lever operating the said damperthrough the medium of the connecting-piece m and crank c. The ashpitdoor, being without a draft-opening and fitting close with thedoor-opening, prevents all escape of air from the ash-pit when theblower is in operation, while, at the same time, no air is permitted toenter the ash-pit by natural draft when the damper is closed. When thedamper is closed the fuel in combustion will be wanting in a supply ofoxygen for the The weight H on the lever same, and the fire will becomedeadened, or the combustion will be reduced to a degree, untll thegeneration of steam in the boiler has been lessened, when the lever Fwill fall and open the damper, and permit the air to pass to the ash-pitand the fuel in combustion above. When the air is driven into theash-pit one portion will be forced up vertically through the openings inthe horizontal section of the grate. Another portion will be forced intothe furnace-chamber through the openings in the side inclines of thegrate, in an oblique direction, as indicated by dotted lines 1 in Fig.3, and another portion of the air will be forced into the said chamberin an oblique direction through the openings of the inclined ends, asindicated by dotted lines 2 in Fig. 3, while, at the same time, thecombustion of the hot gases will be, in a measure, concentrated nearlycentrally within the said chamber.

It will be readily seen that by these improvements the combustion of thefuel will be proportionate to the steam generated, and the generation orpressure of the steam may effectually regulate the damper and thequantity of air to the fuel to supply combustion.

It may also be readily seen that no dead coal or refuse material can bepermitted to lodge in the side and end corners of the furnacechamber atthe grate, and that, by the oblique direction of the blast of airthrough the inclined end and side openings of the grate, the hot gaseswill be burned more centrally within the furnace-chamber, to be drawnwith a better effect through the tubes or dues of the boiler than withthe air passing up vertically through all portions of the grate.

These improvements may be applied to either upright or horizontalboilers with the same results.

Having described my invention,what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

The combination, with the furnace A, provided w th grate B and blower D,provided with a conduit leading to the ash-pit beneath the said grate,of the damper a, weighted lever F, steam-cylinder I, and piston o,operat ing substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

PATRICK W. LAMB.

Witnesses FRED. CARMAN, ALEX. SELKIRK.

